The Team 2016

Meet the Team

JACQUELINE 'Jacqs/ Jax' KLEMFirst Pilot - AkuYa

Jacqs loves reading and learning, to discover new things and explore opinions or views that takes her out of her comfort zone, while staying true to her core values. She fell in love with education and the children of Africa in equal parts."Over the years I have come to realise that we cannot motivate people to think or be like "us". People are uniquely and wonderfully put together. Our culture, faith, education and a hundred other things make up our DNA, our views on life, our value systems, our believe - or not - in ourselves. What we can give people are the opportunities to education and exposing them to new worlds they did not even know existed. My experience is that THIS is what motivates people to change. Education is a tool and we are privileged to be able to create opportunities where people can acquire these tools and skills. I believe that even in this age of social media and smart technology, we are all connected and through the pooling of our networks, skills, connections, resources, information, knowledge we create bigger and better opportunities for people to discover that WOW moment in life. That moment when they take responsibility for their own learning, find the hope and believe in themselves - maybe again, or maybe for the first time. That is why AkukhanYa is not "only" a private training provider, but a platform, an education community, a porthole to resources and links and people and knowledge. Probably most of all... I love to listen for what it is people need and finding solutions to help fill the need."...Jacqs loves art, photography, beauty, architecture and foreign places... that is why we have Ali & Bella Conquerre - two camels - sharing all of this with our students - a bit crazy, a lot of fun and definitely educationally sound.

* Jacqueline has a B Prim Ed (Jnr) degree from the University of Port Elizabeth (now the NMMU), a National Certificate in Interior Design, a Certificate in Art & Clothing Design, a Certificate in in Education, Second Language Development & Multi Media from the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana, USA, 25+ years in education - teacher | facilitator | lecturer | assessor | curriculum designer | management | accreditation | formal, non-formal, academic & private sector educational institute, with numerous developmental training in a range of educational skills and programmes. She was a partner and the CEO of MRM & Associates - an ABET & Soft Skills Training Company for a number of years, before she started her own consulting company in 2005. Jacqueline is now the CEO of AkukhanYa Educational Consulting & its sub-divisions.

CECILIA 'Ciel' KLEMFinancial Pilot - AkuYa

Every company needs a backbone, a constant and steady do-er. Cecilia is AkukhanYa's backbone. She is our biggest champion, our biggest supporter, while making sure the finances are monitored and managed ethically and wisely. She is old school accounting, who believes that you need to be able to do the books with a pencil and a ledger, as much as you need to use the latest technology and accounting packages and software.Amazing mother to Jacqueline, inspiring co-founder of AkukhanYa since 2008, believer that age is in your head, not a number on your birth certificate, lover of people, but detest-er of lime light or talking in front of people. You need anything done, a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board, a sane voice - Cecilia is the go-to person in AkuhanYa.Cecilia has lovingly been called both Pollyanna for her positive outlook in life and Attila the Hun when you loose slips and documents. She is great in keeping us all balanced on on the right path. ...Cecilia loves traveling and plans on traveling to all the places she has not been to yet with a backpack and a true sense of adventure.

* Cecilia is a qualified accountant with a B. Com Degree from the University of Port Elizabeth (now the NMMU). She has worked as an accountant for the past 40 years. She is a SAGE VIP & PASTEL master, having taught herself how to use a computer when it became the new way of "doing the books". Cecilia believes that every accountant should have the skill and knowledge to do a full accounting service by hand and not rely on a computer programme to do it for you. She has been a full time employee at Professional Child Care College since 2006, working half day at the College and half day at AkukhanYa. Auditors love her, as her books are always spotless.

KABELO MAHLASECo-Pilot - AkuYa

Kabelo joined AkukhanYa in December 2015. She honed her skills as a HR, Skills Facilitator & B-BBEE expert in the corporate world for a number of years. A beautiful little girl, a restless spirit, lots of skills, knowledge and a desire to change the world was the impetus that made her take the leap into the unknown in 2015. She resigned from security and decided to spread her wings and explore a different lifestyle to that of a corporate climber.A degree + post degree in economics and marketing, experience, a passion to help people and an inquisitive mind makes her a perfect entrepreneur. AkukhanYa was VERY lucky to be the one who caught her eye after she took her leap of faith and that she chose to hitch her wagon to our train.Kabelo is co-founder of AkukhanYa's Karabo.inc community and brings her energy, wisdom and passion to Karabo, the B-BBEE workshops, consulting and business coaching. Jacqueline and Kabelo can spend hours debating life, education, what makes Africa and its people tick and how we can make this world a better place. Her passion and believe in what we do energise everybody around her. Kabelo is a great co-pilot and leader. ...Soon, she and her little girl is going to travel around the world, eating ice cream in New York, curry in India and freshly baked fish in Malawi.

* Kabelo has a Bachelors Degree in Economics & Marketing, as well as a Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Witwatersrand. She entered the corporate world after university, where she became an expert HR Manager, B-BBEE implementer and Skills Facilitator. She left the private (corporate) sector in November 2015 to embark on a person journey of development and discovery. Kabelo became a partner in AkukhanYa Educational Consulting in 2016, bringing her skill & knowledge to become part of the team growing the Karabo-Inc division within AkukhanYa. She is also the BEE Master demystifier at AkuYa.

SANETTE du PLESSISCo-Pilot - VictorY!

There is nobody on this planet who loves people more than Sanette does. She is one of those truly unique and amazing people who can make anybody feel good about themselves. Always with a smile, a walk that is actually more a quick step, energy that oozes out of her and a passion for life, Sanette brings all of that, as well as years of training experience in the corporate world, community and private sector to the VictorY! E-du-JOUR training community.She is always ready to try something new, loyal to the last drop and a defender of learners like a mamma lion.Sanette has traveled the world, takes on dares & bungee jumping challenges, and still have a vision for the VictorY! AET training programme to be rolled out in every prison and every community in Southern Africa.You need something - 3am in the morning or 8pm at night - Sanette is the person to call. You need somebody to lift your spirit or encourage you when the going gets tough, she is the one who will do all of that for you. You need somebody to give you a helping hand with admin and boring desk jobs, better to move on right pass her desk....her next travel stop will be Russia and New York City.

* Sanette has a checkered career, starting with growing up on the grounds of various Correctional Service Facilities (where her parents worked), to a Diploma in Social Work, years working in the Child Protection Courts in Port Elizabeth, to part ABET trainer at MRM - part Nanny for small children, project manager and management team member at Refilwe Community Project (NGO in Lanseria, Gauteng) for a number of years, before joining the AkukhanYa team. She has been a trainer since 2002 and her passion is ABET training & working in disadvantaged communities.

BRIAN & SHARON KRUMMECKCo-Pilots - KZN

Brian is our VictorY! training pilot in KZN and Sharon is the one who keeps the admin, invoicing and systems going. Together they make a brilliant team, the one train's with passion and the other is a skills developer, admin master. This team makes the KZN operations run smoothly, while ensuring that the learners are cared for, having fun and getting to the chapel - hmm we mean exam centre - on time. Their patience with us a legendary. Brian is also great with the numeracy training - OH to be able to duplicate them in every province....bicycle rides, walking along the beach, friends and family makes their hearts warm.

BensonGround Staff

Benson is handy-man, production support, go-to person with almost anything you need help with. Quiet, always ready with a smile, strong and totally reliable. We would be totally lost without him.Benson has a wife and two beautiful little girls he adores.

Brenda Ground Staff

Brenda joined AkukhanYa six years go. A very quiet person, but always willing, always smiling and the best maker of coffee this side of the Nile. She can put snack packs for excursions, resource packs for training and stationery packs for learners together like a general.

JannickeGround Staff

Organiser and keeper of order extraordinaire is our Jannicke. She keeps us on the straight and narrow and boy oh boy do not dare to mess with her stock, systems or to-do list. Every organisation needs a Jannicke and we are VERY happy she is ours. She loves horses and can make our websites sing when she is adding to the country or learner info. A packet of dynamite and a smile to warm your heart.

Dee-Ann Ground Staff

Some people think that office work, system development and data organisation is for quiet, boring people only. They have not met our highly creative, very original, dry sense of humour and get down to business with a bulldog determination Dee-Ann. Dee always has a creative edge and if you have asked her to develop a system or prepare something creative, she will amaze with brilliance.

EstiaanMaths Wiz

A man with a mission and his mission is currently his doctorate in mathematics - also a man with an amazing ability to explain the most complex mathematical issue in terms that a primary school child has a WOW moment. Estiaan is our go-to wiz for mathematics and trainer of trainers, checker of resources, lover of maths and warmer of hearts. He always has a smile ready, as long as you do not bother him in the middle of a maths riddle.

* He has a Bachelors, Honours & Masters Degree in Mathematics from the North West University. Estiaan is currently busy with his doctoral in Mathematics through NWU & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He acts as consultant & support to AkukhanYa's Numeracy Training Programmes.